Computer System and Computer-Based Method for Assessing the Safety of a Process Industry Plant

1. A computer-based method for establishing a safety assessment of a process industry plant including multiple organizational units, the method comprising: storing scores in a memory of a computer, each score being related to one of an inspection, undertaken in one of the organizational units with regards to one of multiple defined aspects of the plant, and an answer, given by a human representative of one of the organizational units in response to one of a set of defined questions, each question being related to one of the multiple defined aspects; assigning in the computer each of the scores to the respective one of the organizational units and to the respective one of the aspects, the scores being assigned based on a range including a best case score indicative of proactive safety management, intermediate level scores, and a worst case score indicative of an absence of basic requirements; calculating, in the computer using a processor, aspect-specific scores for each one of the organizational units from the scores assigned to the respective one of the organizational units and to the respective one of the aspects, the calculated aspect-specific scores for an organizational unit having only intermediate level and best case scores being calculated based on a combination of the assigned scores, and for an organizational unit having at least one worst case score assigned to an aspect, the worst case score for that aspect is assigned as the aspect-specific score for that organizational unit; calculating, by the computer, total aspect-specific scores for the plant based on the calculated aspect-specific scores for each of the organizational units; and establishing the safety assessment from the total aspect-specific scores for the plant.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the computer, a graphical representation in one common graph of the safety assessment of a selected one of the organizational units, the aspect-specific scores of the selected one of the organizational units being shown in the graph such that deficiencies of the aspect-specific scores from a best case score are visualized, and such that differences between the aspect-specific scores of the selected one of the organizational units are visualized.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising establishing different safety assessments at different points in time; storing, in the computer, the aspect-specific scores associated with the different safety assessments assigned to data about the respective point in time; and generating, by the computer, a graphical representation in one common graph of the different safety assessments of a selected one of the organizational units, such that differences between the aspect-specific scores associated with the different safety assessments of the selected one of the organizational units are visualized.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the computer, a graphical representation in one common graph of the safety assessment of the plant, the total aspect-specific scores being shown in the graph such that deficiencies of the total aspect-specific scores from a best case total score are visualized, and such that differences between the total aspect-specific scores are visualized.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate level scores include a first level score indicative of a presence of current experience driven process safety management, a second level score indicative of a presence of accepted process safety management practice, and a third level score indicative of a presence of the basic requirements.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing, in the computer, data about inspections and answers, and determining a rating of the inspection and the answer in the computer by an expert system from the data about inspections and answers.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein included in the multiple defined aspects of the plant are one or more of an aspect of organization, an aspect of resources, an aspect of communication, an aspect of training, an aspect of procedures, an aspect of contingency plan, and an aspect of general safety.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein included in the organizational units of the plant are one or more of top management, operation, engineering, inspection, maintenance, and loss prevention.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organizational units relate to hierarchical levels of the plant.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the questions include questions related to safety awareness, safety behavior, change management, and human error.

11. A computer system for establishing a safety assessment of a process industry plant including multiple organizational units, the system comprising: a recording module for storing scores, each score being related to one of an inspection, undertaken in one of the organizational units with regards to one of multiple defined aspects of the plant, and an answer, given by a human representative of one of the organizational units in response to one of a set of defined questions, each question being related to one of the multiple defined aspects, and for assigning each of the scores to the respective one of the organizational units and to the respective one of the aspects, the scores being assigned based on a range including a best case score indicative of proactive safety management, intermediate level scores, and a worst case score indicative of an absence of basic requirements; and a calculation module for calculating aspect-specific scores for each one of the organizational units from the scores assigned to the respective one of the organizational units and to the respective one of the aspects, the calculated aspect-specific scores for an organizational unit having only intermediate level and best case scores being calculated based on a combination of the assigned scores, and for an organizational unit having at least one worst case score assigned to an aspect, the worst case score for that aspect is assigned as the aspect-specific score for that organizational unit, calculating total aspect-specific scores for the plant based on the calculated aspect-specific scores for each of the organizational units, and establishing the safety assessment from the total aspect-specific scores for the plant, wherein one of the recording module and the calculation module is implemented as hardware or as a hardware and software combination.

12. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising an output module for generating a graphical representation in one common graph of the safety assessment of a selected one of the organizational units, the aspect-specific scores of the selected one of the organizational units being shown in the graph such that deficiencies of the aspect-specific scores from a best case score are visualized, and such that differences between the aspect-specific scores of the selected one of the organizational units are visualized.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the calculation module is configured to establish different safety assessments at different points in time; wherein the recording module is configured to store the aspect-specific scores associated with the different safety assessments assigned to data about the respective point in time; and wherein the system further comprises an output module for generating a graphical representation in one common graph of the different safety assessments of a selected one of the organizational units, such that differences between the aspect-specific scores associated with the different safety assessments of the selected one of the organizational units are visualized.

14. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising an output module for generating a graphical representation in one common graph of the safety assessment of the plant, the total aspect-specific scores being shown in the graph such that deficiencies of the total aspect-specific scores from a best case total score are visualized, and such that differences between the total aspect-specific scores are visualized.

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the recording module is configured to store data about inspections and answers, and wherein the system further includes an expert system configured to determine a rating of the inspection and the answer from the data about inspections and answers.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising: storing scores, each score being related to one of an inspection, undertaken in one of multiple organizational units of a process industry plant with regards to one of multiple defined aspects of the plant, and an answer, given by a human representative of one of the organizational units in response to one of a set of defined questions, each question being related to one of the multiple defined aspects; assigning each of the scores to the respective one of the organizational units and to the respective one of the aspects, the scores being assigned based on a range including a best case score indicative of proactive safety management, intermediate level scores, and a worst case score indicative of an absence of basic requirements; calculating aspect-specific scores for each one of the organizational units from the scores assigned to the respective one of the organizational units and to the respective one of the aspects, the calculated aspect-specific scores for an organizational unit having only intermediate level and best case scores being calculated based on a combination of the assigned scores, and for an organizational unit having at least one worst case score assigned to an aspect, the worst case score for that aspect is assigned as the aspect-specific score for that organizational unit; calculating total aspect-specific scores for the plant based on the calculated aspect-specific scores for each of the organizational units; and establishing a safety assessment from the total aspect-specific scores for the plant.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , further comprising generating a graphical representation in one common graph of the safety assessment of a selected one of the organizational units, the aspect-specific scores of the selected one of the organizational units being shown in the graph such that deficiencies of the aspect-specific scores from a best case score are visualized, and such that differences between the aspect-specific scores of the selected one of the organizational units are visualized.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , further comprising establishing different safety assessments at different points in time, storing the aspect-specific scores associated with the different safety assessments assigned to data about the respective point in time, and generating a graphical representation in one common graph of the different safety assessments of a selected one of the organizational units, such that differences between the aspect-specific scores associated with the different safety assessments of the selected one of the organizational units are visualized.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , further comprising generating a graphical representation in one common graph of the safety assessment of the plant, the total aspect-specific scores being shown in the graph such that deficiencies of the total aspect-specific scores from a best case total score are visualized, and such that differences between the total aspect-specific scores are visualized.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , further comprising storing data about inspections and answers, and determining a rating of the inspection and the answer by means of an expert system from the data about inspections and answers.